The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-01-29

o,Ierrv Christmas be -" said he in the
came bantuing tone. What in three dasheS'
two hypheus and an astonisher do you want
here. YOU double dashed and double blanketed
blank Do dash and retun.m
The wording here is my own, but II gives
an idea of the way ,he conversation was
drifting You can see 10y his manner that
literary people are not alone in being surly,
Mritabl. and unreasonable.
Sol nmued him and spoke kindly to him
and sm1ltaai down hisruttied plumage with
my -4r baluaee. for he wore shawl and
You can never tell whether man wearing a
shawl d, armed or not l give herewith a
view W this chemist as he appeared ON the
morning me, him.
twill Doe noticed that he was a man about
medium height. with clear cut features and
retratmg hrIsEet His hair was dark and
huug m great waves, which seemed to have
caught tine sunlight and retained 1t together
with great many other atmospheric phe-
nOmena lie wore "a straw bat, such rs l
once saw Horace Greeley catch grasshoppers
In. m The banks of the kinniclunuick, just
before Dee caught a small trout
~ent some time with him watching him
as De made his various experiments. Finally
BE- showed me "a new beverage that he had
been engaged i'm perfecting. 1t was mclosed
IN dark brown stone receptacle, and was
hell u place by acommOn corn cob stopper.
j tool. some of it i'm order 20 show that con
flei DO Lm. do not remember anything
else distinctly The fumes of this drink went
at oar. 20 my brain, where it had what might
be termed a complete walkOver
Iuow have no hesitation in saying that the
6ui must have been alcoholic in its nature,
for when ] re1aiued my consciousness l was
extremely elsewhere l found myself on a
road which seemed TO lead in two opposite
directors. and my mind was very much con-
fused
Ihardly know how got home, but | finally
dill gtt there, accompanied by a strong lean.
ns toward prohibition a few days later 1
received the following letter:
SIR at first thought when / saw you at
my laboratory the other day that you was
low, inquisitive cuss, and 50 spoke to you II
harsh tones and reproached you and up
braided You by calling you everything l
could lay my tongue 10, but since then have
concluded chat you didn't know any better.
You said 20 me that you found my place by
Seeing the smoke coming out Of the chimbley;
tha, ha, given me am idea that you might
know something about what's called a smoke
consumer. of which have heard.
Iam doing fair business, but am good
deal petered, as you might say, by people
who come i'm on me when l do not want 10
mlng.e iu society man in the chemist
business cannot succeed if he is all the time
Interrupted By Tom, Dick and Harry coming
On on him when he is in the middle Of ali ex-
pertinent
j ANA engaged in making remedy Tor
which there is a great demand, but It's manu-
tactlre is regarded with suspicion by United
States officials who want ~ be considered
jealous Rather than be drawn into any diff
hcuity with these people, 1 have always
courted retirement and avoided the busy
haunt6 of men. Still, some strClling idiot or
other viii occasionally see the smoke from my
htte home and drop in on me.
Could you find out about this smoke con
sumner, and see what the price would be, and
let me know as soon as possiblei
II you could 90 50 / can be of great ser
vice % you Leave the letter under the big
stone where you found yourself the other day
when you came out Of your trance. call 1T
trance. because this letter might fall into
the hands Of your family. If you will find
Out about this smoke consumer and leave the
Information where / told you, you Will find
On the following day large jug Of mountain
dc" IN the same place, that will make your
hair grow and give a roseate hue 10 your
otherwise gloomy life.
DO not try 70 come here again. 1t might
compromise me. A man in your position
may not have anything TO risk, but with me
IL Is different. My unsulGed rs2rtation Is